1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a keratome with a spring loaded adjustable plate, and a cutting length adjustment plate.
More particularly, the present invention relates to a keratome with a spring loaded adjustable plate that does not wobble or waver, and a cutting length adjustment plate that allows for a pre-cutting measurement of a corneal cut. The present invention also relates to a method of cutting a corneal flap.
In a further and more specific aspects, the invention relates to a gauge-mounted bracket for adjusting the spring loaded adjustable plate on the keratome head.
2. Prior Art
For differing procedures it is required to slice a section from the cornea of the eye. Severe myopia for example, can be corrected by slicing a first hemispherical section from the cornea, e.g, 150 microns, then slicing a second section of perhaps 20-250 microns from the cornea, and reattaching the first section. Less-severe myopia and hyperopia can be corrected by simply slicing a hemispherical section from the cornea, and then reattaching it. The cutting and reattachment of the cornea causes a corneal bulging that can correct vision.
It is known in the art that a keratome is a surgical instrument for making thin slices of the cornea of the eye. The instrument resembles a block plane, however the bottom of the keratome comprises more than one surface. Leading the front end of the keratome is an adjustable plate, followed by the adjustable in length, but fixed in length when used, cutting blade. The keratome blade oscillates at high speed from side to side to better slice the cornea.
The adjustable plate can be moved up or down from the cutting edge of the blade, determining how deep or shallow the corneal cut, respectively. The position of the adjustable plate relative the depth of the blade must be critically set. Yet the adjustable plate itself has a tendency to wobble front to back or waver side to side, and is generally adjusted with a gauge where the keratome is mounted on a stand with a corneal ring. Such conventional measuring means can be cumbersome to use, and can result in imperfect measurements. Additionally, a wobbling or wavering plate can result in a disastrously imperfect corneal cut.
After years of performing these surgeries, it has been noted that the surgery involves one very severe complication; that the first section cut from the cornea may be lost or damaged before reattachment. Therefore it has become common practice for the surgeon to cut a corneal flap, instead of a slice, and then reattach the flap. The flap is cut by moving the keratome over the corneal ring, and alternating between cutting and checking the length of the cut. Sometimes a surgeon will manually hold a rod at a predetermined placement to stop the keratome when it reaches just before where the corneal tissues ends. All too often, a slice is cut instead of the desired flap.
It would be highly advantageous, therefore, to remedy the foregoing and other deficiencies inherent in the prior art.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide improvements in a keratome having an adjustable plate.
Another object of the invention is the provision of improvements especially adapted for use in connection with a keratome having an adjustable plate.
And another object of the invention is to provide improved means for stabilizing the adjustable plate of a keratome.
Still another object of the immediate invention is the provision of an improved means for predetermining the length of the corneal cut.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide means for affixing a keratome having an adjustable plate directly to the gauge used to measure plate depth.
Yet still another object of the invention is the provision of improved means for positioning the keratome, and adjusting the blade to cut the cornea at a predetermined length.
A further object of the instant invention is to provide improvements in securing the keratome to a gauge for measuring the depth of the adjustable plate.